B.C. Grandma’s Licensed Grow-op Busted by RCMP

By
CBC News
on April 1, 2011

A 62-year-old woman from the Castlegar, B.C., area says RCMP raided and damaged her property and hauled her to jail even though she has a licence to grow marijuana.

Velma Mullaney said that despite a Health Canada permit that allows her to grow 98 plants, police showed up at her rural home last month, kicked in the doors, cut off her electricity and confiscated her marijuana.

The officer in charge refused to look at her permit or count the plants, the grandmother said.

“He kept saying, ‘You are way over in plants,'” Mullaney said. “I said, ‘Get those guys to go in and count them and you’ll see everything is legal.’ And he kept saying, ‘You are way over and you are going to jail.'”

Mullaney was taken to jail and later released. No charges have been laid.

Her lawyer, Don Skogstad, said he doubts charges will be forthcoming.

“It is one thing to believe you have grounds for illegal activity,” Skogstad said. “But once you get there and you can see how many [plants]there are and know about the licences, why don’t you just leave?”

He said Mullaney may sue the RCMP for damages and file an official complaint.